The winner is...Thomas Hamrick

We’ve known for a long time that Men’s Health readers are among the fittest, smartest, most successful men on the planet. You’re veterans, community leaders, teachers, firefighters, doctors, marathoners—and, well, you get the idea.

When Total approached us a few months ago and said they wanted to help us find the ultimate Men’s Health reader, we knew we had our work cut out for us. Total didn’t just want a guy who volunteered, or worked out five days a week. They wanted our greatest all-around guy—the epitome of what it means to lead a balanced life. So we asked you to find him for us.

We were, frankly, blown away by the turnout. Hundreds of applications rolled in. If you ever want motivation to work out, or a little extra guilt for lying on the couch, we’ll let you borrow a stack.

There was 38-year-old Jason Hatton, an engineer with 20 patents to his name who volunteers as a scoutmaster, earned a blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do, and does CrossFit almost every day.

There was 20-year-old Benjamin Swart, a college student studying genetics and cell biology who hopes the research he’s doing into signal transduction pathways will one day help us cure diseases like asthma and diabetes. He’s got a 4.0 GPA, volunteers as a firefighter, and runs sprint triathlons. (Yeah.)

And then there was Thomas Hamrick.

Hamrick is a veteran of the Navy, vice president of his company’s local veteran’s chapter. At 43, he's still a lean 5’11, 170 pounds. His typical week involves four days of CrossFit, two days of running, and pickup basketball with his kids. He volunteers with the Sentinels of Freedom, and does his best to eat right—stocking up on foods like spinach, almond butter, chia seeds, avocados, and lean meat. But when he’s feeling his best isn’t after a killer workout, or after finishing a homemade three-course meal. “It’s when my older sons—both in their early twenties—talk about what they’re cooking for dinner,” he says “and I realize it’s something I’ve made for them before. That’s a proud moment.”

Here’s one you can be just as proud of, Thomas: You’re the first Men’s Health Total Guy. Congratulations to you—and to everyone who made this choice so difficult.